Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to announce that using Tylenol by pregnant girls could also be linked to autism in kids, in response to a report Friday within the Wall Avenue Journal — which the Division of Well being and Human Companies stated was “hypothesis.”
This comes after Kennedy stated in April that HHS would undertake a “huge testing and analysis effort” to find out the reason for autism. Kennedy on the time stated the plan was to launch a complete report in September. Nevertheless, Nationwide Institutes of Well being Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya stated later that month the findings may take as much as a 12 months.
Kennedy has up to now made the unfounded declare that autism is a “preventable illness,” drawing heavy criticism from many medical consultants.
How did Tylenol maker Kenvue and HHS reply to the WSJ report?
In an announcement supplied to CBS Information on Friday, an HHS spokesperson known as the Journal’s report “hypothesis.”
“We’re utilizing gold-standard science to unravel America’s unprecedented rise in autism charges. Till we launch the ultimate report, any claims about its contents are nothing greater than hypothesis,” the spokesperson stated.
In a separate assertion in response to the WSJ story, Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol — whose lively ingredient is acetaminophen — stated that “now we have repeatedly evaluated the science and proceed to consider there isn’t any causal hyperlink between acetaminophen use throughout being pregnant and autism. To this point, the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) and main medical organizations agree on the protection of acetaminophen, its use throughout being pregnant, and the knowledge supplied on the label.”
Later Friday, Kenvue stated in one other assertion that “we recognize the Secretary acknowledging media protection on the upcoming HHS report is ‘nothing greater than hypothesis.'”
What do medical consultants say?
The American Faculty of Obstetricians and Gynecologists stated in an announcement supplied to CBS Information on Friday that “there isn’t any clear proof that proves a direct relationship between the prudent use of acetaminophen throughout being pregnant and fetal developmental points.”
“Neurodevelopmental problems, particularly, are multifactorial and really tough to affiliate with a singular trigger,” ACOG stated. “Pregnant sufferers shouldn’t be frightened away from the various advantages of acetaminophen, which is protected and one of many few choices pregnant individuals have for ache aid.”
CBS Information chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook stated he’s wanting ahead to studying the upcoming report pledged by Kennedy, “particularly the proof behind any conclusions and proposals.”
“I spoke this afternoon to a researcher who was a part of a main examine printed simply final 12 months that adopted 2.5 million kids in Sweden over 25 years,” LaPook stated. “He stated use of acetaminophen … was not related to an elevated danger of autism in kids.”
Autism has develop into extra prevalent in kids born within the U.S. over the previous 25 years, in response to statistics compiled by the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. However there isn’t any scientific consensus on the the reason why.
In an interview with CBS Information on Friday, Dr. Christine Ladd-Acosta, an affiliate professor of epidemiology on the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg College of Public Well being and the vice director for the Wendy Klag Middle for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, stated analysis exhibits that the causes of autism “are advanced.”
“There have been a number of dozen research Tylenol and whether or not use throughout being pregnant is related to danger of autism in these girls’s kids, and the proof has been actually form of conflicting,” Ladd-Acosta stated. “Some research have proven no affiliation. Some have proven a constructive affiliation. Some have proven unfavourable associations. And I believe a part of that’s as a result of it is actually laborious to tease aside … whether or not it is the remedy itself that’s influencing autism danger within the youngster, or if it has to do with the situation … the mom is utilizing the drugs to deal with that’s the factor that’s vital in autism danger.”
Ladd-Acosta famous that the dosage, the size of time that pregnant girls take Tylenol, and the “particular situation” they’re taking it for are all components which have been thought of when trying to find out if there’s a potential affiliation between the remedy and autism.
“There have been some associations, however there was no conclusive proof I’ve seen to point out that Tylenol itself causes autism definitively,” Ladd-Acosta stated.
Aparna Zalani
contributed to this report.
